The Shumari

Build temples for knowledge, not for people. The Allmighty does not need them. And no one else deserves them.

Words of the Ascended

The Shumari Church holds significant influence within the Council of Aikor. Originating in the Dark Age under the enigmatic figure known as The Ascended, their primary objective and holy mission has been the preservation and dissemination of ancient knowledge, exspecially those of the mythical Everrealm. Their extensive temple network doubles as libraries and centers for scholarly pursuits. While esteemed by merchants, scholars, and the elite, they are sometimes perceived as aloof due to their exclusive reputation.

Teachings

All Shumari adhere to the teachings of their founder, the Ascended, who is believed to guide them to the Land of the Unending Light upon death. In this paradise, all are equal regardless of origin, and scarcity is nonexistent. Therefore, the pursuit of new knowledge and stories from the mortal realm becomes paramount, as those who enter the promised land never return. To prepare for this transition, Shumari faithful are encouraged to amass knowledge in various forms, including scientific research, poetry, and literature. Many wandering faithful maintain extensive diaries and tomes to record their learnings while traversing the mortal plane.

Rooted in regions once dominated by the Fay and the Ancients, the Shumari are deeply attuned to magic, particularly light-based practices evident in their rites and rituals. Diverging from conventional beliefs, they reject the notion of a supreme entity as the source of evil, attributing it instead to human imperfection and societal flaws. Their approach to combating evil emphasizes self-improvement and enlightenment as the primary means.

History

The Travels of the Ascended

The Shumari were first mentioned at the end of the second cycle, originating from a circle of scholars in southern Kisha who founded the "Followers of Light," translated in the ancient language as the Shumari. Ironically, despite their later emphasis on knowledge preservation, early Shumari kept minimal records about themselves, focusing instead on preserving findings about ancient cultures.
Initially, the Shumari operated as a small research group, aiming to collect artifacts and records from the ancient Everrealm, considered a Golden Age of Civilization. Their remarkable discoveries propelled them into prominence as a Philosophy School in Sumitei, a bustling trading hub and academic center.
In line with early Kisha traditions, leaders of Philosophy Schools traveled widely to expand their knowledge and engage in philosophical discourse. While most members of the early Shumari were primarily interested in academia, one individual stood out for his attempts to reverse engineer ancient technology and bring it to the people.
After an unsuccessful attempt, he ventured north in search of the "Vortex," a mythical source of magic, hoping it would rejuvenate ancient wonders. Upon his return to Kisha ten years later, during a severe famine, he replicated basic tools from the Age of Wonders, earning him the moniker "The Ascended" due to his perceived miraculous achievements in medicine and agriculture.
The Ascended's popularity propelled him to leadership within the Shumari. In his later years, he retired and returned north, where he became a revered figure among the Shumari. He intended to spend his remaining days at the court of the Thalassir Esharin - a noble from the isle of Tellessia, whom he had met on his earlier travels.
Despite being initially a pacifist - and therefore denying multiple times Thalassirs pleads for aid in his attempt to unify Tellessia - the Ascended's views shifted drastically in 1997 F2, after returning from an expedition to a newly discovered ruin. He provided the Thalassir with knowledge and weapons for conquest, citing a "Great Shadow" from the veil of time as the catalyst for his change in stance.
Three years later, after the First King of Teneria's coronation, the Ascended embarked on his final journey eastward and vanished, leaving behind a legacy shrouded in mystery.

Formation of the Shumari Cult

During this period, the Shumari, though still influential, were just one Philosophy School among many in Kisha. It was the Thalassir Esharin - First King of Tellessia - who established a state religion in his honor, recognizing the Ascended's impact on his endeavors, as the concept of a Philosophy School was unfamiliar to Tellessians. The mystification of the Ascended and his accomplishments led to the spread of this belief across the western shores of the continents.
In 238 R3, the most influential members of the Shumari convened in Sumitei to merge the Ascended's writings with their own proto-religions, forming the Path into Dawn, the official holy scripture of the Shumari. To ensure proper organization, an Arch-Librarian was elected to lead the newly founded church into the future.

The Shumari Shism

For the following 600 years, the cult steadily expanded its influence across the western shores, establishing itself as the predominant religious authority in the region. However, this dynamic shifted dramatically with the death of Arch-Librarian Asa Osira in 809 R3, triggering a violent schism within the church due to unresolved succession.
The split of the Shumari into northern and southern branches, focusing respectively on Tellessia and western Aekavia, and on Kisha and the Far South, initiated a series of conflicts known as the Faith Wars, lasting nearly 500 years. While peace between the two branches was eventually brokered long before the conflict's conclusion, they now coexist peacefully and cooperatively.

Marches Towards Sunrise & The Faith Wars

Following the Schism, the newly formed northern branch of the Shumari merged with the Island Kingdom of Tellessia, establishing the Holy Kingdom. Seeking to propagate its teachings and control of vital trade routes along Laishas Street, the Holy Kingdom embarked on a series of military campaigns known as the "Marches Towards Sunrise." Although initially successful in establishing significant trading hubs such as Port Shandanar and Aikor, these endeavors increasingly entangled the Holy Kingdom in the on-going Faith Wars.
The toll of warfare was significant for the Holy Kingdom of Tellessia, resulting in the loss of most of their colonial harbors and eventual defeat by the newly emerged Suweian Empire.

Organization

Since the Schism at the onset of the Faith Wars, the Shumari have been divided into northern and southern branches, although hostilities ceased long ago, and cooperation between the branches is commonplace. Followers mainly hail from Kisha, considered their origin, Teneria, western Aekavia, and Illuvia. Their favorable standing with merchants has led to the presence of Shumari temples in major cities throughout Nivenas, though they typically constitute a minority outside their core regions. Key temples include Sumitei (the birthplace of The Ascended), Nishara (Temple of the Rising Sun), Ymdallana (House of Many Facets), Ujverja (The Lighthouse Temple), and Ruiyaa (House of the Wise Man of the West).
Devotees of the Shumari are known as Librarians, reflecting the dual function of their temples as repositories of knowledge. The overall leader of the church is titled Arch-Librarian and resides in Sumitei, the Holy City. Initially, there were two Arch-Librarians post-Schism, one for the north and one for the south. However, the northern branch's Arch-Librarian position was suspended upon the founding of the Republic of Grand Teneria, as the branch sought to incorporate democratic principles into its structure to align with the new societal framework.
While both branches share foundational teachings, their day-to-day operations differ significantly. In the south, where the Shumari historically held near-monopoly over religion and philosophy, they have preserved their philosophical heritage. The Shumari Libraries of the South are vast complexes often located in rural areas, drawing pilgrims and dignitaries alike. Rituals predominantly occur within these secluded libraries, reinforcing the branch's reputation for traditionalism, introspection, and peaceful cooperation.
Conversely, the northern branch contends with competing religions along Laishas Street and situates its libraries near centers of power. Librarians are encouraged to venture beyond the libraries, disseminating knowledge and engaging with the world. They also emphasize so-called "Enlightment" rituals, where the Librarians preaches to the masses (mostly from their balconies, though they sometimes wander to important events such as harvests). The northern branch is perceived as more open and pragmatic than its dogmatic southern counterpart but is also criticized for being preachy and susceptible to corruption.

Mythos

Soulforged Blades

Like most other churches of the Council of Aikor the Shumari have a dark past in the Faith Wars, where they also marched their armies to seek domanice over the other cults. From that time stem countless rites for the creation and usage of so-called Soulforged Weapons - Lances, Swords, Axes and other created out of a human soul - which seem to be quite potent in killing other supernatural entities. Though no mortal being can survive without a soul, the donor of the weapon - be it voluntary or not - will fall into a deep coma until the soul is returned. Which may never end, should the weapon be lost or destroyed in battle.
While the pratice itself has become quite rare,some some soulforged weapons have survived the passage of time - even centuries after their original ... donors .... have passed away. The most famous one is Ashira, the blood-red sun. This legendary blade was always hold by the leader of the sunfarer orders, but got lost in the catastropic Forth March into Sunrise never to be seen again.

The Unforgiven

The Forth March into Sunrise was aimed to retake the City of Tellseara, which has been conquered by Maothanan Forces in 1191 R3. The March is famous for up until these point unseen brutallity from all sides and ended in a military catastrophy, when the entire city of Tellseara was burned in Dragon Fire including all of the Sunfarer and many of its inhabitants - Heartlander and Tenerian alike.
Legend says, that because of the atrocities commited in its name, the Allmighty itself forbids the soldiers entry into the afterlife. So when they finally died in the Burning of Tellseara - they were doomed to burn eternally as the Unforgiven, roaming the mortal realm to redeem their guilt. Since that day, Ashira shall appear of those in need, testing them for their soul. Those deemed worthy are allowed to give one command to the Unforgiven, those that fail will join their ranks on the eternal quest for forgiveness.

Three Gates towards Enlightment

The Shumari tradition is that before entering the sanctuary (where all the knowledge is preserved) one needs to distance themselves from the mortal world by passing three gates - to clean ones body, mind and soul. Hence, most Shumari Libraries have three seperate rooms that one need to traverse before entering the actual library. While the exact details may vary, to pass through the gateway of the body, one leaves all material possessions behind (including clothing) and puts on the robes of the Library, the gateway of the mind is traversed by meditation and the gateway of the soul contains a small room (with an altar of the ascended) for prayer.

Founding: ~ 1900 F2
Religious Authority: The Ascended, main prophet and ancient philosopher of the Shumari.
Mortal Authority: The Arch-Librarian in Sumitei for the southern branch, technically the High-King of Teneria for the northern branch, though this office lies dormant for quite a while.
Holy Scripture: "Path Into Dawn", a collection philisophical teachings from their founder the Ascended.

Virtues: Knowledge, Education, Philosophy, Magical Prowess
Sins: Secrets, Lies, Falsifications, Destruction or Supression of History

Spreading: All along the western shores of both continents. Recently there is an influx of pilgrims along Laishas Street and in the Shallow Sea, especially in Shumari Bastions like Tellseara and Aikor.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Permeated Organizations

• Holy Kingdom of Teneria - Chosen of the Ascendend
• Republic of Grand Teneria